


Post ep: Four Letter Word

by BlackBandana



Category: Berena - Fandom, Holby City
Genre: F/F, Four Letter Word, post ep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 20:45:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10048595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBandana/pseuds/BlackBandana
Summary: Exactly what it says on the tin. After the hug.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Channelling my perpetual unrest into writing additional scenes to satisfy myself. Hope they satisfy you too on some level.
> 
> Never imagined I'd ever write fanfic - please be gentle.

Four Letter Word

"I don't want us to fall apart." Bernie whispered into Serena's ear as she wrapped her arms even tighter around the brunette and dropped her head on to her shoulder. 

Serena snuggled into the blondes neck and tightened her arms around her waist, prolonging the hug. It had been the first physical contact between them since before Serena returned to work and that had been hard for both of them. 

"Me neither." Serena whispered back and took a deep breath, holding and snuggling in even closer before letting her breath out again. 

"It's just that..." Her voice trailed off as she leaned back to look at her blond partner in the eye. 

"What?" Bernie questioned, bracing herself psychologically for what might come next. 

"I'm used to dealing with things on my own. That's just how it's always been. When I was married to Edward he was always too busy or too drunk to bother how I was, and then...w-with my mother there was no-one else so I just got on with it. I had to. That's just what I do. A-a-and I don't want to push you away Bernie, but I don't know how not to." 

Bernie's heart contracted as the depth of feeling she had for the woman before her soared, how hard it must've been for Serena to admit that and reach out like that. She couldn't have been prouder. 

"I understand" she said quietly, and she did. She understood all too well what it was like to deal with things on her own, to shut the rest of the world out because that felt like the only way to get through it, as if letting someone in, or asking for help would loosen her grip on her sanity and everything would all unravel and fall to pieces around her. 

"I am here though...with you...for you... and I want to help you. Let me take some of what you're carrying on your shoulders. What was it you called me that time? Big macho army medic?" She chuckled and Serena hummed and smiled warmly up at her. 

"Lean on me, physically and metaphorically." She said, unsure of how to put into words just how much she cared. 

"I'll try..." Serena replied hesitantly. 

"And that's all I'm asking for, my love" Bernie pressed a soft kiss to the brunettes forehead and pulled her in close for another hug as she felt tears well up in her eyes. 

She cleared her throat and loosened her grip, dropping her arms to Serena's waist and linking her hands in the small of her back. 

"Let's get going then. Are you sure you want to walk?" She asked tentatively, she had an inkling that it wasn't what the brunette wanted at all but had just been another way of keeping her distance. 

Serena looked up and her and grimaced. 

Bernie seized her chance and said "Right then!" She reached behind for Serena's jacket and gently draped it over her shoulders before taking hold of her left hand and squeezing tightly. "You're coming with me." and with that they walked out of the office together, hand in hand. It felt like maybe they'd turned a corner today. There was still a long way to go, grief isnt recovered from in a few days, weeks or even months, but Bernie was pleased she had somehow managed to crack Serena's armour, and was sure that would start to let the light in. Whatever happened, however hard it got, they were in it together. That's just how it was now and they would learn to navigate these hitherto untrodden paths together.


End file.
